Through Their Eyes ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
by bubbalicious91
Summary: This is a series of outtakes from my main story Eyes On Fire. These one-shot will be written according to popular demand or at the authors discretion. If you have not read Eyes On Fire this will not make sense.


Through their eyes

Edward's POV 

I had been right in my earlier assumption that my family would insist I go for a hunt. As soon as we were shown to our rooms, Carlisle turned to me and forced me to leave with him whilst Jasper was still absent, saying we would hold the family discussion when I was fully sated. I agreed reluctantly, not looking forward to my first hunt in months, but I knew I had no choice in the matter as fighting with all of them was useless. I needed to tell Carlisle about the faint trace of Bella's scent without listening ears anyway, and this was as good a chance as any. If Alice, or god forbid Esme, got a whiff of this, it wouldn't be good. Any small mention or reminder of Bella sent my mother and favorite sister into tears – well, the vampire equivalent of tears.

Carlisle and I made our way to one of the many underground entryways. There were a number of tunnels hidden underneath the city's foundation, many leading from one part of the city to another, but the tunnels Carlisle was directing us through were the ones that led to the countryside. We ran in awkward silence, Carlisle still thinking of the earlier meeting and his old friends lack of action, as I tried to ignore him as best I could, instead concentrating on the movements of my muscles were making as they bunched and released, only glimpsing Carlisle's instructions moments before I had to change direction and head down another tunnel.

Ten minutes later, we were running through the lush Italian countryside trying to find an appetizing meal. My throat burned from the faint trails of does and boars that had passed through the area, but none of it was truly appetizing. Without Bella I was as good as dead. I felt empty and hollow having left my heart, unbeknownst to her, in Forks. I didn't deserve to feed and hadn't done so in months. The monster inside wanted to be let out of its cage, to be set free and go on a killing spree in order to even have a hope of satiating itself. I refused it every time, even now.

After a few more minutes of useless hunting, the scent of a brown bear hit our noses. Carlisle immediately picked up the pace and sprinted past me, his mind hoping I would fall back into our past routine of racing and fighting over our food. I shot his hopes into the dirt as soon as I stopped in my tracks and climbed a tree, ready to wait until he was finished.

Carlisle took no pleasure in feeding from the bear and buried it quickly before backtracking and settling himself across from me, his legs folded underneath him and his hands folded under his chin. His thoughts showed me how I looked to him, how differently I acted and appeared to have no life left in me. He even showed me how I was tearing my family apart. All the fights he and Esme had, the lack of fights Emmett and Rose participated in, and Alice and Jasper barely spoke unless necessary.

"I'm sorry. I just don't feel like… I'm not myself lately, Carlisle," I mumbled, refusing to look at him and fiddling with the hem of my shirt.

_I know, Edward. I've known you a long time and you are my son, I can see the differences in you; even the ones you don't admit too._ He smiled gently at me as he settled further onto the tree branch, anticipating a long conversation. _You're miserable without her Edward; we all are._

Memories of Bella flashed through his mind.

_Carlisle slowly opened the emergency room doors, pausing in the entryway to watch me as I smiled and teased Bella, taunting her until she caught sight if him. _

She's good for you, Edward. I've never seen that light in your eyes before,_ He mused, while his fingers probed her skull, asking her if it hurt and seeing through her 'I'm fine' line. _

Watching Bella and myself through Carlisle's thoughts was disconcerting, to say the least. He saw so many things I missed. He saw the way Bella's eyes darted to me at random intervals, saw how every time I shifted my position out of habit she moved as well. Carlisle noticed that I was different, freer, around Bella. Her presence was soothing and addictive. She always kept me guessing, reacting differently than other humans, more perceptive than they were, more mature and more accepting.

His memories shifted to the first time Bella entered our house, watched as she met Esme and his children, saw how brave and loving she was. Carlisle witnessed the relationship between Bella and our family grow, saw the changes in everyone, and saw us fall in love.

He remembered James and Victoria, and saw my determination to protect the woman I love from them. He watched and encouraged as I sucked James' venom from my 'singer's' veins. He watched on with pride as everyone helped Bella recover from her injuries, witnessed everyone grow closer to the girl who was quickly becoming the glue of our family.

Carlisle shifted uncomfortably as the night of Bella's birthday entered his mind. I watched as Bella and I entered the house, greeting everyone, but growled as soon as she picked up that fateful present, _my _gift.

The memory cut short, only to be replaced by my father's apologies. I shook my head and banged my head uselessly against the tree trunk. We sat silently for a moment, just listening to the sounds of the tree rustling, creatures going to and fro in the underbrush, until I broke the silence.

"I smelled her." His head snapped back toward me, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

_Bella? _

"Yes," I nodded in affirmation. "Rose smelled her too but is convinced it was a similar smelling vampire." I shook my head slowly, begging Carlisle with my eyes to believe me. "I _know_ it was her, Carlisle. It - she - was there. Freesia, the sweetest vanilla, and – and… love. I will never forget her smell, Carlisle. It was there, and it was on Marcus' robes."

"Okay," he mumbled, slowly nodding his head as he processed everything, putting everything together.

Alice's vision of Bella lying on a bed roughly six months ago before she completely disappeared from my sister's sight. Alice's excitement about coming to Italy, insisting that she didn't know anything for certain but knew this would be a good thing for everyone. The smell, all the mind blocking, our family's quarters being located with those of the guards instead of the guests.

"What does it all mean though?" Carlisle asked me aloud. "She can't be here in Italy; that's impossible. Other than our family, she knew no other vampires, and Alice never saw anyone going anywhere near Forks. I don't understand…"

"Neither do I, Carlisle… neither do I."

"Much better, Edward, dear." Esme sighed as she examined my eyes.

Carlisle and I hadn't sat by and talked for much longer before a herd of deer came within hearing range. He had encouraged me to go after them, take as many as I needed, but I still refused. In the end, Carlisle convinced me to come down from the tree and wait whilst he went and caught a few deer for me. I had five before the blood started to slosh in my stomach, and my eyes grew brighter with every passing second.

When Carlisle and I had returned to our rooms, Jasper was back, and the rest of the family was waiting for the meeting to start. There were many things we needed to talk about, catch up on, and hash out; we didn't get far. The fear of being heard due to our current location kept us all quiet, and we were quickly excused to go about our business. Jasper and Alice quickly disappeared out the doors with their minds guarded whilst the rest of us decided to stay together and lounge about the room.

Jasper and Alice were gone all day and only returned an hour before the ball officially started; both were very stressed and still keeping me out. Alice, who was no longer the bouncing ball of energy I had seen enter the city less than a day ago, quickly and quietly handed out everyone's garment bags before disappearing into her own room with Jasper in tow. Now, minutes before we were due downstairs, everyone was dressed, ready to head downstairs and face what promised to be an eventful night.

Everyone was anxious about tonight, especially after what happened with the ancients earlier today, and Alice wasn't giving anything away.

"Alright everyone, let's go. We have to be there before my old friends." Carlisle smiled, attempting to appear cheerful and happy. He wasn't fooling anyone.

Esme quickly straightened my tie and smoothed my lapels although she had already done mine three times – as well as Emmett and Jasper's - before sweeping us all out the door and into the castle halls where we joined the throng of vampires all bustling around the place; many of the guards were finishing with the decorations or heading down to the ball, already dressed.

I walked blindly beside my siblings, keeping my mind open and in search of anything related to Bella. There was still nothing, just the mindless hum of random thoughts; it appeared the guards were still blocking me. As we approached the main ballroom, the collection of thoughts became too much for me to listen to at once, and I had to start blocking them out.

As we walked through the hall, vampires called out greetings to Carlisle, being the oldest and most well known, whilst they gave the rest of us polite smiles and balked at Rosalie's beauty – she uncharacteristically ignored them. Peter and Charlotte quickly found us and stole Jasper and Alice away for a few moments before Esme spotted the Denalis in all their glory.

Tanya, wearing a red, skin-tight, multi slit dress with diamond straps, smiled brightly at Carlisle and Esme, but upon seeing me cried out my name, causing many head to turn in our direction, and threw herself at me.

On instinct, my arms curled around her, helping to keep us both standing after all of her weight hit me. Upon regaining my balance, I quickly tried to push her off.

"Hello, Tanya," I murmured with a polite smile as the rest of her family joined us. By this time I had managed to successfully separate her torso from mine, but she quickly latched onto my hand, so I gave up. I didn't have the energy to fight her, and Esme would kill me if I started a fight in front of what appeared to be almost our entire race.

"Geez, Tanya. He's been in the room for five minutes, and you're already begging for it?" Kate shook her head and smiled ruefully at her sister. Tanya ignored her but tightened her grip on my hand.

Kate was dressed in a similar fashion to Tanya, red silk, floor length dress. Only more modest with no slits along the legs and haltered with an intricate pattern of pearls.

I watched as the others greeted our cousins and I fought the growl that emerged from my chest when Irina introduced the newest member of their coven and her mate. Laurent.

Although we had parted on marginally good terms, I still had a bone of contention with him. He had been a part of the coven that had tracked and attack Bella, resulting in her having multiple injuries and being bitten. When Laurent came to warn us about James and Victoria's abilities and past tendencies, his thoughts had been honorable - confused, but honorable nonetheless. For this reason I tolerated his presence as he greeted my family, apologizing for his past interactions and giving me a polite smile without approaching me, for which I was grateful.

As he turned around and headed back into Irina's welcoming arms, a picture of Bella entered his mind. She was angry like she had been in the brief glimpse I caught of her when I arrived, but this time the image wasn't fleeting, and I was able to get a good look at her. Her hair was a vibrant mahogany with red highlights scattered through it. Her lips were full and a deeper shade red than I had ever remembered seeing on her. Her face was more defined and angular than the last time I saw her, and copious amounts of power seemed to roll off her. It was then I noticed her eyes. They were blood red.

"Laurent!" I growled, ripping Tanya's hand from mine and lunging toward him.

_Edward, NO!_

My family's cries entered my mind, and I saw myself flying through the air in a blind rage.

I didn't know what was going on. Why I could smell Bella, why I could see brief flickers of her angry face in the minds around me, but I needed to know, and Laurent knew the answers – at least some of them anyway.

Suddenly Laurent turned around and pushed me away with his hands on my chest. Jasper quickly caught me as I continued to growl and struggle.

"Where is she? You saw her; I know you did!" I cried as Carlisle and Emmett came to Jasper's aid. The entire crowd was now focused on the scuffle between Laurent and I, seeming abandon all their conversations and activities to watch. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO BELLA?"

The confusion and panic grew within the minds of my loved ones. Their thoughts screamed at me, telling me to stop and think about this rationally, that Bella was safe and human, but they were wrong – they had to be. Everything that had happened today wasn't just a coincidence. Seeing her, smelling her - none of that was an accident or the result of me finally losing my mind. She _had_ to be here.

_I know, Edward! I know! She's here; I've seen her! Please stop, Edward! _Jasper's mind screamed at me. I stopped struggling the second her face entered his mind; she looked exactly like Laurent had seen her, red eyes and all. Carlisle and Emmett cautiously released me as I turned toward Jasper, feeling completely betrayed and broken.

He had seen her but hadn't told me? He hadn't he said anything? He knew how much I needed her, knew the pain I felt without her, and yet he still kept my love from me.

"Edward?" Alice called to me, placing a tiny hand on my arm. I looked down at her numbly and saw that she had seen Bella too; she didn't go into detail but told me she knew and had spoken to her. "We don't have time to tell you everything now, but we will, I promise." I started shaking my head, adamant that I know everything now. "There's not enough time, Edward; they're here."

Just as she finished, the creaking and groaning of huge doors as two guards opened them echoed of the walls and everyone's attention quickly switched from me to the ancients as they floated into the room. A small collection of people followed silently behind them; I was unable to see them from where I stood, but their scents flooded the room, and I could smell Bella among them. The doors soon closed behind them, pushing their scents further into the confined area.

Marcus, Aro, Caius, and the remaining wives all stood at the edge of the staircase, looking down at all of us. Marcus' eyes sought out my family and lingered on me longer than the rest. His thoughts showed me nothing but the steel wall I always seemed to encounter in his presence.

Those around me seemed slightly stunned to see Marcus was quite responsive and lively at present. Everyone knew of the heartache he had suffered and the result of that suffering; they heard the rumors that he barely moved or spoken unless necessary. So to see him like this, when most had seen him catatonic for the last few thousand years, was hard for them to comprehend.

Aro smiled at everyone, hands clasped gently in front of him, and started speaking, much to everyone's surprise. This ball was in honor of Marcus as it was Saint Marcus' day. The day the humans celebrated the vanquishing of vampires from Volteera's walls by Marcus himself many years ago. Little did they know that day was the beginning of Marcus' vampiric life and the start of the most powerful vampire coven ever known, right, and quite literally, _inside_ their very walls.

Aro continued to drone on and on about what Saint Marcus' day was to us as vampires and what a joy our presence brought to him and his brothers; I barely heard a word of it.

I was once again unsuccessfully trying to break through the mental barriers that Aro, Marcus, and Caius had built around their minds when Marcus suddenly turned around, looking over his shoulder toward the small company that had followed him. He made a small gesture with his hand that ignited a hiss from someone within the shadowed party, but no other move was made.

Marcus, seeming unaffected by the disgruntled sound, smiled wickedly and took a small step backwards. Caius zeroed in on this movement and watched his youngest brother carefully as he took another step backwards and made the same motion with his hand, beckoning someone forward.

I saw a slight movement accompanied by the sounds of layered fabrics brushing against skin as the figure stepped forward, zipping gracefully to Marcus' side where she stood in all her immortal glory.

The girl, the love of my life, I had left behind and never thought to see again was standing mere meters away from me with another man's arm claiming her.

I heard Esme and Carlisle both choke back breathy sobs, as Emmett and Rosalie's jaws dropped as they gaped.

"Bella…" Her named slipped unbidden from my lips, sounding like the sweetest prayer and a curse at the same time.

She refused to look in my direction, not answering the whispered call I sent her way, and I began to wonder if she remembered me. I watched, horrified and jealous, as she turned her body further in to Marcus', nestling herself into his side contently.

_She remembers, Edward. _Alice's thoughts sounded distant in the blackness that was now my mind. _She remembers us. She remembers you, but…_

A faint picture of Marcus and Bella seated on a loveseat in what appeared to be some kind of library came to the forefront of her mind, showing me how they were together. How Marcus' hand slipped beneath her skirt and rubbed her ankle in comfort, showed me how Bella had leaned over and kissed his papery cheek before disappearing out the door. She made me see the admiration and the awe barely hidden within the ancients' eyes as my love walked out of the room.

A sudden burst of applause brought my attention back to the present, and I watched Bella, still wrapped in Marcus' arms, float gracefully down the marble, rose-covered stairs.

She looked so beautiful, eerily so, with her hair curled loosely and only one side pinned back from her face, allowing me a complete and undisturbed view of her angelic face. She was so much more enchanting in person than I had seen her in anyone's mind, so much more real and… alive.

Her perfectly uneven lips were coated with a startling shade of glossy red, making her pale skin look like porcelain and bringing out the burgundy highlights in her hair. Her red eyes were rimmed with black, smoky makeup, and combined with the black and silver dress and the above elbow length gloves she was wearing, she pulled off the sexy and alluring look very well. As the other guests thoughts flooded my mind, I thought maybe to well.

All of the vampires in the assembly hall were curious about the Volturi's latest addition - clearly realizing she was a newborn and detecting some sort of power or authority radiating from Bella's person - but hardly any of their thoughts were free of two disturbing emotions: jealousy and lust.

As Bella and the small group she was surrounded by reached the bottom of the staircase, my body started to move toward her without my consent. All I could think about was having my arms around her again, holding her close to me, burying my nose in her hair and drowning in her scent, never to surface again as I whispered my love and apologies to her.

Something pulled on my arm, stopping my approach. I looked over my shoulder and came face to face with Rosalie. She was staring past me toward Bella, her mind almost perfectly blank as she took in my love's physical appearance. She approved, greatly so, and deemed her a worthy challenger in the looks department before she returned her attention to me.

_Going to her now will be the wrong thing to do, Edward. _Her mind whispered to me_. I don't know how, only Alice does, but I can feel something in the air around her. I can't put my finger on it but just wait, talk to Carlisle, help Esme, and then we can go meet her. _

I wanted to ignore her, tell her that she was being ridiculous, that waiting to reunite with my love was not a bad idea and there was nothing wrong about it, but I couldn't shake the same feeling Rosalie and everyone else was getting. There was something that permeated the air, some kind of lure that none of us could ignore, and it made Rosalie uneasy.

It made me uneasy too; the more I thought about it and saw how the rest of the room seemed to be feeling the same thing, some wary of it whilst others embraced it. I sighed and looked back to where Bella still stood at the foot of the stairs and watched her break from Aro and Marcus' hold as she stepped forward to greet a vampire I knew to be Siobhan, leader of the Irish coven.

I tuned into Siobhan's mind quickly and found she harbored no malice thoughts or jealousy for Bella. She admired her looks and wondered what made her so special for the ancients to treat her as they were. But Siobhan was also falling in love with Bella and her sweet, confident, and vibrant nature.

Seeing Siobhan and her coven meant no harm, I turned around and walked briskly over to my crying mother, pulled her roughly from Carlisle's arms to hold her close. Comforting both her and myself as I buried my nose in her hair and breathed in her calming, warm scent.

Esme's thoughts were in complete disarray, her mind recalling memories of our time with Bella back in Forks, her birthday, and our departure in particular. She thought of how beautiful and enchanting Bella was now, fumed that Marcus had been holding her daughter in such a possessive way. And finally she thought of our reunion.

She imagined that Bella would be happy to see her and Carlisle, hugging them and telling her she missed them. She imagined Bella's excitement as she saw Emmett and Alice again before giving Jasper and Rosalie quiet greetings, before finding some place quiet for her to recall her story, tell us what happened after we left, and how she was turned.

Then Esme became angry all over again. She hated that Bella had been brought into this world as much as I did. She knew Bella had wanted immortality when we were in her life, and Esme wanted Bella to truly join the family in a forever way, but she was also scared that maybe Bella would come to regret her decision once she changed and become bitter and hateful, much like Rosalie. She didn't want to lose her daughter in any way but was unsure, like I was, about which would be the better alternative. Watch Bella grow old and die? Or give her immortality and possibly have her resent us in later years for giving into her wishes?

Of course, the answer was a moot point now that Bella was clearly a vampire like us, but Esme couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if we had stayed. I must admit the very some thoughts entered my head on more occasions than I would like, though I never spoke of them.

"It's alright, Esme. She's here now, and that's all that matters," I whispered softly. "The past doesn't matter anymore, only the future we now share with her back in our lives… forever."

"I wouldn't say that too soon, brother." My head snapped up to meet Alice's saddened eyes.

"What do you mean, Alice?" I swallowed harshly as my mouth went dry and the venom in my veins seemed to do the same thing as I tuned into her bleak thoughts; Jasper's own mind was also forlorn. I knew then why Alice and Jasper had spent the whole day avoiding me and the rest of the family as Jasper recalled both his encounters with Bella, one more unwelcome and hostile then the other, although neither were warm and fuzzy.

_What had happened to the girl I fell in love with? _I asked myself and came up with no answer. Shy, introverted, conventional, and selfless Bella Swan seemed to have disappeared along with her humanity from what I could gather from Jasper and Alice's thoughts, together with the unhelpful addition of the Denalis' memories.

"The far future is unclear and unfocused at the moment, but the future close at hand is quiet clear," Alice continued, sounding more like one of those fake fortunetellers the humans played at the local markets more than ever before. "It's not good, Edward. I can't explain, and letting you see it will make things worse; you have to experience this for yourself. Just give her a few minutes to breathe and get used to the amount of people, let her relax before we go and reintroduce ourselves to _Isabella_, as a family."

My immediate family's minds stumbled over the idea of a bleak and remorseful reunion but fully understood this was a part of the price we now had to pay for leaving her behind in such a cruel manner. And they didn't even know the lies I had really told Bella.

They were under the impression I convinced Bella to let us all go by telling her the same things I told them, the same things that convinced them to go. They expected me to tell her that we were leaving for _her, _to protect _her,_ and by our absence from her everyday life she would be safe and free of a horrible and unsafe future. My family, bar Alice, never expected or thought me capable of the lies I had told my beloved. I hadn't even expected for the words to flow from my lips so easily, to come from my mind unbidden and unwanted like they were the lines of a script I had memorized over and over until I knew how I would play the part - how I would say the lines, how I would make my voice sound detached and uncaring, how I would portray my indifference in the hopes my one-women audience would believe it.

Carlisle quietly removed Esme from my arms as I was no longer able to comfort her and, at the moment, he needed to feel his mate in his arms; he needed to help her calm down in order for him to think rationally about how best to approach the situation.

I stood in the midst of both my immediate family and my cousins, who, with the exception of myself, Tanya and Kate, were all mated. Comforting each other and thinking of all that had come to pass since they had arrived inside these ancient stonewalls. The only things they had to worry about were each other and how they would best get to know their lost daughter, sister, friend, and cousin.

Two thin, pale arms wound themselves around my torso and pressed their body against my back, trying to close as much distance between us as it was polite in public.

A deep, menacing growl rumbled low through my rib cage at the contact, and Tanya's body immediately stiffened on instinct, but she didn't let go.

_Come now, Eddie,_ her thoughts purred into my head. _You heard Alice; the future is unclear and blurred. That probably means that you and Bella aren't meant to be after all, so why not start fresh right now and save yourself some stress and heartache? _

I was outraged at Tanya's mindless thoughts and had to restrain myself from turning around and ripping her head off… permanently. Lucky for Tanya, Carlisle called her name in warning, and Esme forcibly removed Tanya's marble limbs from my body before replacing them with hers.

I sighed deeply and sank into my mother's embrace, throwing Tanya a disgusted glare over Esme's shoulder before ignoring her completely.

"I think now would be the best time to say hello to Aro and the others, as Bella is not with them," Carlisle said thoughtfully but firmly. "Let her come to us once she is comfortable with the circumstances; she's a newborn, and there is no need to rush her." He spoke the last part directly at me.

My father knew me well enough to know I wanted to run to Bella as soon as I saw her, and once I was only a few meters away from her, it would be hard for me to control myself.

_Don't push her too much right now, son. We probably hurt her a lot by leaving, and it will take her some time to get used to our presence again. _

I nodded to let him know I had heard him, but just because I heard him didn't exactly mean I was going to listen to him.

Carlisle quickly excused us from the Denalis' company and then led us through the gossiping crowd toward the Ancients. I followed Bella through Demetri's mind as he hugged and teased her before leading her over to the 'beverage' table.

I felt Jasper push an unwanted wave of calm into my body and shot him a withering look.

_You need to keep yourself calm, Edward, otherwise I will do it for you,_ he warned silently. _Things are bad enough without you attacking Demetri out of jealousy. He is a friend of sorts - be happy that she has people she can trust within these walls._

I sighed, knowing that my brother was right. The Volturi were 'educated', as Carlisle had called them on a number of occasions, but were also brutal and ruthless. Finding a friend, someone you could trust, would be a hard and laborious task, so I had to be grateful she wasn't completely miserable in this place and at least, she had Demetri – and apparently Marcus – to confide in during her stay.

_Better, _Jasper's mind murmured as he felt my feelings calm and even out, most of the anger and jealousy now gone.

"Ah, Carlisle!" Aro exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air with a wide, overly smug smile on his face. Siobhan, taking that as a dismissal, quickly nodded in our direction before leading her coven elsewhere.

"Aro," Carlisle murmured, his voice flat and agitated as he looked at his old friend with eyebrows raised.

"Oh, come now, Carlisle! I would have told you about her, but she preferred it this way – and I can never deny _my _Isabella anything." He stepped forward and grasped Carlisle shoulders in a friendly manner, but his smile was still smug, and there was a certain mischievous glint to his eyes that I instantly shied away from.

Instead of ignoring the claim Aro had made on Bella, Carlisle drew attention to it.

"_Your_ Bella? Aro, the only people I recall you ever claiming as yours, in as many words, are those in your coven. No others."

Mine and Esme's eyes quickly found Bella still standing by the beverage table, this time with a full goblet in her hand as we tried to find some type of 'V' symbol emblazed on her person, but we found none. However, it seemed that the stylish 'V' of the Volturi wasn't needed; her status and superiority sung from her body language, the commanding air surrounding her, as well as her wardrobe – she was the only female in the entire hall dressed entirely in black. The wives wore black sashes around their waists, but all the other women were in various shades of red.

Esme noted this, as did Emmett as he also noticed the differences between Bella and every other female attending tonight's celebration.

Esme started to panic, thinking that maybe Bella's position here was more important and permanent then we had first thought. Jasper sent Esme a pretty strong wave of tranquility that reached Carlisle and Aro as well. Carlisle, sensing the change, slung his arm around Esme's shoulders before inquiring more about Bella's position.

I hadn't noticed that I was still staring at Bella until she lifted her goblet slightly in my family's direction before drinking the red liquid in one huge gulp and licking the excess from her plump lips. She still didn't break eye contact with me as she blindly but gracefully reached back and placed her now-empty goblet back on the table.

"Aren't you going to go over there and reintroduce yourself?" Demetri's amused voice whispered in her ear was still loud enough for me to hear.

"Not just yet." Her heaven-like voice reverberated in my head and caressed my brain like the smoothest, most expensive silk. It was the first time I heard her newly-modified voice, and I never wanted to stop listening to it. I wondered what my name would sound like as it fell from her silken lips now.

I was broken out of my haze by Bella reaching up on her toes to kiss Demetri on the cheek before walking away, leaving him smiling at me with the biggest, goofiest 'take that' grin I had ever seen. Jealously and hatred ran through my body, and I wanted so badly to rip that smug smile off his Italian face, but Jasper's overwhelming calm and Rosalie's vice-like grip on my wrist stopped me. I returned my attention to the conversation at hand but followed Bella through the minds of others, checking for any malignant thoughts but only found those of Tanya and Jane's.

"…close?" Carlisle questioned in response to Aro's musings; I had been so caught up with Bella that I missed whatever Aro had said and was now slightly lost, only realizing faintly that they were still talking about Bella.

"Yes, Carlisle, close," Aro said in a belittling manner, his smug smile and matching thoughts still in place. "Since Isabella came to us almost seventeen months ago, many of us have formed close attachments and friendships with her. She is an interesting and endearing creature after all-"

"Not to mention the power she holds," Caius mumbled, voicing himself for the first time tonight.

"Hush, Caius," Aro snapped quickly and sharply before his tone softened, still addressing his violent brother. "Now isn't the time for these talks; tomorrow perhaps…" His voice trialed off. Aro's eyes locked with mine as he continued talking with his mind. _I'm sure you would like to know more about my dearest Isabella, Edward, but somehow I think she would like to keep you guessing for a bit longer. _I frowned at him, not fully understanding what he was implicating. _I mean, you can't blame her if she chooses to take that path; you did hurt her immeasurably with your words, after all. _At this his thoughts took on an angry and foreboding sense before he started to recount one of what appeared to be many nights where my Bella awoke screaming.

_Aro sat across from his brothers, flipping through an old, leather bound book absently. Caius, who had his own book sitting on his lap, was reading intently, whilst Marcus' head was turned toward the door, listening attentively to something beyond the stonewalled study they sat in. _

"_Marcus, do calm down and relax. You have been with her all day, helping her study and watching over her; at least leave her be while she sleeps," Aro whined and continued to stare at his brother, awaiting an answer that would not come. "She has slept soundly the past three nights, Marcus; I don't see why it would be any different tonight."_

"_She was more nervous about sleeping tonight than usual," Marcus mumbled absently, still completely focused on listening to Bella's deep breathing. "Besides, I have sat with her the past three nights - it seems to help her - but she shouldn't get used to someone, especially me, sitting in her room every night for the next two years." _

"_I suppose," Aro agreed, still not understanding why a vampire's presence would help Bella relax and sleep better at night; by all rights it should terrify her. _

"_I still don't understand why you two bother with the insolent child; she is an inconvenience and more trouble than she's worth. If she wakes again, leave her be, and let her deal with it on her own, for god's-"_

_Caius was cut off by a high-pitched wailing sound. Aro and his brothers tensed for a moment before Marcus leapt from his chair and ran through the door, Aro hot on his heels while Caius slumped back in his chair and began reading again. _

_Having only been a few doors away, they reached Bella's room in seconds, and Marcus immediately went to Bella's side, holding down her flailing limbs whilst trying to coax her out of the nightmare. Aro went to Bella's other side, climbed onto the bed, and put her face between his hands, trying to see and understand what she was dreaming about - she still hadn't told him and Marcus much of her past - before he gave up and helped Marcus to hold her down, both men now calling her name.  
_

"_AAHHHHHHHH!! NO, NO, PLEASE!" Bella screamed, her breath coming in short, fast pants; she was starting to hyperventilate. "NO, EDWARD DON'T! DON'T LEAVE ME! EDWARD!!"_

"_ISABELLA," Marcus roared, startling even Aro, as he had never heard his brother this distraught for many a year; not since Didyme's death reached his ears. _

_Bella's eyes flew open and she bolted upright as she broke free off the nightmare, sweaty and clammy. She breathed raggedly, and her eyes darted in every direction, looking for someone, though Aro and Marcus where sitting right in front of her. Finally, after a minute or so, Bella's eyes settled on them and then the tears started. _

"_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know why this keeps happening. Why he can't-"_

"_Shhhh, Isabella," Marcus soothed, his hand brushing the sweaty curls from her face. "It's okay, it's not your fault, Tesoro." _

_Bella reached out with shaking hands and pulled Marcus to her, encircling his neck with her tiny arms and holding him close while she cried. Marcus moved himself and Bella so that his back was against the bed's headboard and Bella seated securely in his lap. _

_Aro sighed and gently ran his hand over her back until her breathing slowed, and she started to drift into unconsciousness. He looked at his brother, asking with his eyes if he was going to leave her now that she was calm, only to have him shake his head and pull her closer, resting his chin on the crown of her head. Aro nodded his assent and leaned forward to kiss her mahogany hair before turning to the door, shooing Chelsea and Demetri from the threshold before closing the door behind him. _

I blinked hard, trying to focus on the now, trying rather unsuccessfully to shake the sounds of Bella's screaming from my head before looking back at Aro's hard, red eyes.

_Marcus stayed with Isabella every night until she was turned, Edward. _Aro's mental voice stabbed another knife into my already cut open chest, only managing not to cry out in both pain and horror because of the overwhelming calm Jasper was forcing on everyone.

It had taken only seconds for Aro to show me a memory that would continue to haunt me for the rest of my existence. I'll never forget the sound of Bella's pleading, the sound of my name being screamed in desperation and despair.

"Well, I'm sure you're all eager to talk to Isabella yourselves, except for you, Alice and Jasper, as you have already had the pleasure." Aro chuckled, knowing exactly what had occurred during both meetings. "Now, where is my lovely girl?"

I knew where she was and so did Marcus, having never taken his eyes off her since she walked away with Demetri. Through the minds of others around her, I saw Bella speaking to Garret, an American nomad, saw her catch Aro's searching eyes before she excused herself with the promise of a dance, and made her way through the crowed dance floor. Everyone moved out of her way as she passed, all of them respecting her newborn nature and her standing with the Volturi leaders.

The nearer she came and the more intense her scent became, the more I needed to feel her in my arms and hide her away from the leering gazes of the men surrounding her.

I felt a small smile, the first smile I had experienced since before I left Forks, tug at the corners of my lips as I watched her - all grace and poise now instead of the clumsy, shy girl I first met. She truly had grown into her own skin; whether it was the change that help her do that or not, I was glad she finally knew how people saw her and how beautiful she really was.

She was within a respectable speaking distance now, but she still hadn't looked at anyone from my family. She had to have seen us; it was impossible not to see seven golden-eyed vampires looking straight at you with bated breath, but she kept her eyes firmly on Aro's, a smile on her face and a swing in her hips, making the material of her floor length dress brush against the ground.

As she walked brusquely straight past me, I took a deep breath, capturing her delicious scent and confirming that it was indeed the one I smelt the previous day. I shot Rose an antagonizing glare as she analyzed the scent in her own mind. She ignored me and didn't apologize, only turning around to keep Bella in her sights at all times.

"Ahhh! Here she is, my darling Isabella," I heard Aro exclaim, and returned my attention back to Bella. He reached out and grasped her hands, pulling her close to kiss her cheek. Bella gracefully accepted the attention with a tilt of her head, closing her eyes, her eyelashes so long now that they lay against her cheeks. She looked like an angel with her dark hair, angelic features, and peaceful expression. Carlisle commented on her beauty as well but also noted how comfortable and relaxed she seemed in his friends' presence.

Being comfortable and relaxed in front of Aro and his brothers – Caius, especially – was a rare thing amongst our race. The almost limitless power they had at their disposal, as well as their strict punishments for law offenders, kept many on their toes; even their own guards were not entirely comfortable with them all the time. This, however, didn't seem to be an issue for Bella; she never really did have any sense of self-preservation.

A low, appreciative wolf whistle pierced the air suddenly, and Bella's red eyes snapped open, her eyes landing on the grinning oaf known as my brother. I rolled my eyes as he openly gawked at Bella, his eyes roaming over her body as Esme and Carlisle sent him disapproving looks over their shoulders. Rosalie didn't even blink, as she was used to his foolishness; personally she would have been slightly worried if Emmett hadn't made some foolish or obscene gesture toward Bella, because she was just that beautiful.

Bella gave Emmett a small, lip-twitching smile in response and paused, appearing to wait for something. I didn't know what, and Emmett's thoughts soon grew disappointed and confused. Jasper smirked.

I was just about to ask Jasper what the hell was so funny to him just as I saw Bella's posture change. Her back straightened, her head ducked so that she was looking at Emmett through hooded lashes, and she licked her lips.

My jaw dropped, as did many of those in my family; Jasper just buried his head in Alice's hair to stop himself from breaking into hysterics. Emmett's eyes were bulging out of his head and his thoughts turned incoherent and choppy. Apparently _that_ was the wrong reaction, and Rose swiftly smacked him over the back of the head, glaring at Bella at the same time.

Bella didn't appear to notice Rose's disapproval and only smiled brighter whilst she giggled and her posture returned to normal, all sexiness and seduction gone from her person.

"Awww, come on, baby…" Emmett whined; rubbing his head with his hand as he tried to regain his wife's attention. Bella and I rolled our eyes whilst everyone else looked on in amusement, gracious smiles displayed on their faces.

Bella and Carlisle locked gazes, and time seemed to cease for them. They stared at each other, Carlisle knowing he should say something but unable to know what under the circumstances. She had changed, that was obvious, but seeing her interact with Aro and the other guards and Marcus bring her to the forefront of the assembly changed his idea and thoughts about what this reunion with his youngest daughter would be like. For the first time my father was actually speechless. It seemed ridiculous even to him that a vampire, who was well over three hundred years old didn't even know what to say to his newly-changed daughter.

"Isabella, dearest, why don't you greet our guests? They are old friends, after all." Aro's voice sliced through the air, bringing Bella back from whatever thoughts she had strayed into, but not Carlisle as he was still struggling with what to say and how to act.

Bella quickly looked at Aro and then seemed to shake herself before returning her gaze to Carlisle with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Of course, Aro. How could I forget my first _coven_?" She stepped forward, refusing to look at anyone but Carlisle and placed her hand in the air between them.

I felt like I had been slapped. Coven. That was not the word we used to describe ourselves, and she knew that. We were a family, and she was still a part of it. She didn't know that though, I realized. The words I had said to her must have made her think Esme and the others didn't love her either, that they didn't want her. I looked to the floor in shame, realizing for the first time just how much I had hurt Bella and how much I had truly affected her life.

There were a few moments of silence where no one moved or even seemed to breathe. Aro and Marcus were concentrating very much on Bella, on her reactions and interactions with my family. Caius, who simply appeared bored, watched on with anger and disbelief coloring his thoughts of Bella.

Caius really was the most menacing and anger-driven of the brothers, while Aro appeared to be the sincere and overly-excitable one. And Marcus, who was once bored and submerged in his own memories twenty-four hours a day, had resumed his position as the strategist.

My head snapped up as a velvet giggle reached my ears. Bella had one hand covering her mouth, the other placed on her hip, and her eyes were alight with amusement and something darker that I couldn't quite place.

"I must say, I've never seen Carlisle speechless before. Have you, Aro?" She laughed, peering over her shoulder at Aro. He smiled at her, amused by Carlisle's reaction and relieved with Bella's obvious handle on the situation.

"No, my dear, I can't say that I have," he replied, watching as Marcus stepped forward and placed a hand on my father's shoulder.

The small touch made Carlisle realize just how long he had been staring at Bella, trying to figure out what to say; he still didn't know.

_What on earth am I supposed to say to her? _he thought in a panic as he took a deep breath and walked forward to wrap Bella in a gentle hug. _I guess the only thing I can do is act as I normally would for the time being. _"I'm sorry, Bella; seeing you again…it's just a shock, that's all."

Bella didn't return my father's affections, and Esme's anxiety started to escalate once again. Instead of wrapping her arms around Carlisle like she used to back in Forks, she laughed sarcastically at his words and pushed against his chest to get him to let go.

"It's Isabella, not Bella. I haven't been that girl for a while now, almost a year and half to be exact." She smiled cynically at him and stepped out of arms reach.

Alice sent me a menacing glare and her thoughts screaming at me yet again. _See! I told you thing weren't going to be the way you want anymore. Isabella is a different girl now. You won't be able to protect her; she can do that herself. You can't tell her what do to and keep things from her like you used to do. Edward, you have to understand this is a different girl, a vampire. She's strong, she's self assured, she's no longer some weak little human you can cuddle and choose what she gets to know; you cannot keep things from her, just like you shouldn't be keeping the fact you still love her from her. _

I shot my sister a confused glance and imagined myself asking her, 'what I'm supposed to do? Was I supposed to just come out and tell her it was all a lie?' Alice shook her head. 'Can I talk to her at all?' Alice shook her head again. This time I imagined myself growling and yelling at her, 'What the hell am I supposed to do then, Alice?'

_I don't know, Edward! _Her mind screamed, and venom pooled in her eyes. Jasper noticed and drew her closer, shooting daggers at me and asking silent questions; I ignored him and listened to Alice's internal rampage. _I just don't know. Whenever I see you talking to her, she does the most horrible things. Mostly she either hits you or just pretends you're not there at all. But then I get other visions, and there is nothing there at all, just her in a stunning red gown with a dark shadow behind her. I know you need to tell her you love her, that you didn't mean the things you said, but you can't tell her without getting hurt and her running, never to be seen by our family again. I'm sorry!_

I pursed my lips and shook my head slightly. If I couldn't talk to her right now, then how was I supposed to tell her? Maybe I could write a letter; I doubt she'd read it, and even if she did, something this important shouldn't be read, it should be said – face to face.

Alice's voice was in my head again, warning me; I pushed her out and returned my attention to the conversation at hand when my name fell from Bella's lips.

"…Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie." She said, looking briefly at each of my family's faces as she greeted us. "I also see you girls are sticking with the official color of St. Marcus' Day." She smirked, eyeing Rosalie, Alice, and Esme's ensembles. Amusement was clear in her voice, but there was something else there as well.

_Pride. _Jasper's voice whispered in my mind's ear. _She's proud to be set apart from the others, from us. She's knows she's getting attention, and she likes it, almost as much as Rosalie does. _

I felt myself frown, as that didn't sound like my Bella at all. The attention seeking was exactly what Rosalie, Tanya, and Irina looked for in large crowds, whether those were crowds of humans or vampires, it didn't matter. Attention was attention in their eyes, and any attention was good for their egos.

Rosalie was the one to respond to the slight on their wardrobe; her tone of voice was to be expected, of course, as Bella was stealing her light.

"Of course, and I see you haven't," She sneered, eyeing Bella's black dress from top to bottom. _That dress would look great in red… with a plunging back, of course. Gah! I wish I knew who the designer was. _Rosalie's thoughts huffed but gave no indication of her jealousy whilst she continued to glare at my angel.

"Yes, well, Aro and Marcus had it specially made for me," Bella boasted, staring Rosalie straight in the eye, refusing to back down. They kept their competition going for a few more moments until Rosalie finally broke and looked at me.

_Would you look at that, Edward? She grew a backbone. I like it. _She smirked.

Suddenly Bella sighed and her whole demeanor changed. She went from over confident and powerful to bored and tired in less then a second.

"If you would all excuse me, I have some dancing to do." She announced, addressing all of us but only looking at Aro. Marcus, who had wrapped his arms around her whilst I was preoccupied, reluctantly let his grip loosen, and I heard his mind sighing with the loss of contact with her.

She started to turn away, and I panicked again. What if I didn't get another chance to see her? Should I tell her I lied? Tell her in front of everyone? Tell her that I still loved her and she could come home with me? That she was and always will be my one and only, my mate?

So many thoughts were running through my head - and not all of them my own. I took a step forward, following her, and without realizing it I grabbed her hand. I sighed as the same familiar electricity shot up my arm. The realization that we still had this connection helped to give me the courage I required to tell her, here and now, all she needed to know.

Bella had always been able to feel this connection between us – this funny current surging between us the moment we touched – and it had always relaxed her, gave her some comfort in stressful situation, which is why I knew something was wrong when I felt her body stiffen on the spot. Concerned, I looked up toward her face but could only see the back of her hair as she still had her back to me.

_Be very careful with what you're doing, Edward. _Alice's furious voice resounded in my head.

I frowned, thoroughly confused, and opened my mouth to ask Bella what was wrong when she began to speak. Her voice was cold, calculated, and… flat, for lack of a better word; it sent shivers down my spine, and I truly knew that my Bella was gone.

"Not the best idea you have ever had, Edward Cullen." Her head swung sharply to face me, and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips at the sight.

Her eyes were pitch black with anger, and I could see the shadow of the monster that lurked beneath the surface clawing at its restraints. She was breathing hard, whereas I had stopped breathing all together. We stared at each other for a few endless moments, and I was lost. I had no idea what to do, what to say, too confused to listen to Alice's thoughts, and I was definitely too dazed to come to terms with my Bella's new personality.

A muscled shadow that, if there hadn't been so much light in the room, could have passed as Emmett stepped up behind Bella and cleared his throat. Almost immediately the red returned to Bella's eyes, and her lips quirked up at the edges. I released her wrist with a stunned reluctance and drew myself up to my full height as I faced the bulking man; he sneered at me before stepping between Bella and myself whilst he spoke in a teasing and casual manner that she seemed to enjoy.

"Come on, Isabella, you know it's not a party until you join in the fun…well, make the fun, anyway." He chuckled at the last part before bowing low, forcing me to take a step backwards so I didn't collide with his back end.

Bella's reaction to him was yet another slap in the face. She giggled and looked at the floor shyly before she curtsied, making her dress fan out around her as she did in a manner that was very much from my human life. Felix whisked her off onto the dance floor with a flourish, Bella laughing gently the entire time.

I stood, looking after them with a broken expression, until Caius' voice called my attention.

"She's always like that with him," he muttered, his thoughts recalling the times he had seen Bella flirting obscenely with Felix; sometimes she flirted with Demetri, but it was mostly the hulking vampires figure I saw. "She not nearly as… 'showy' with Demetri and my brother; she just seems to enjoy leading Felix on more than the others."

Aro laughed at this, his mind agreeing with Caius before returning his attention to Carlisle. "She has changed a lot since you last saw her, old friend; I have seen that; but make no mistake - she still hurts, and I won't tolerate any misbehavior toward her from your eldest." Carlisle's eyes narrowed at his old friend, and Esme growled low in her throat, protecting me. Jane eagerly stepped forward, her eyes set on Esme.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Jane," Jasper warned, his voice low and dangerous. Jane turned her attention to him, her eyes raking over his body and taking note of the scars marring his neck and forearms.

"Enough, Aro; I won't misbehave. And I promise to do my best to not upset her." Aro nodded at me and waved Jane off. "But," his eyes snapped back to mine, "I will talk to her; you know the truth, now she needs to know too." I saw him purse his lips for a second, and his mind started to argue with me, but I ignored him and turned on my heel, my mind finding Bella and my feet moving in her direction of their own accord.

She was dragging Chelsea, another high up and powerful guard with the ability to change and bind relationships between people, across the room toward the stage. Bella was saying something about Heidi and vocal cords; I didn't get the whole conversation but that hardly mattered, because as I was nearing them Chelsea spotted me and immediately came to a halt. As an unmated vampire she was always on the prowl for a new companion, and her she seemed intent on introducing herself… until she saw the color of my eyes.

My eyes moved to Bella as she turned and followed Chelsea's line of sight, the happy sparkle that lay there moments ago now vanished completely, and her lips pursed together, obviously angry that I had followed her.

"Is this the boytoy that left you?" Chelsea gasped, her eyes zipping from me to Bella, who was gradually increasing the pressure with which she held onto Chelsea's hand.

"Yes," Bella said curtly, starting to tug Chelsea away from me. "Come on, Chelsea, let's not waste any more of our time with the likes of Mr. Cullen."

They quickly and briskly walked away from me a second later, with Chelsea's mind a in a mild state of shock. It was going to be harder to talk to Bella than I had originally thought. Every time I got close to her, she seemed to shut down and become hostile before finding the closest exit and taking it without a second thought, leaving me behind, shattered again.

I couldn't exactly blame her though; I had broken her the same way, walking away with a barely feasible explanation and disappearing 'like I had never existed', making her second guess herself, break down, and be found by these barely disguised monsters.

Dejected, I decided I would corner her later when there were less people around and more of a chance she would talk or yell at me. I made my way back over to my family and the ancients, where the conversation had turned more civil and pleasant, now discussing what they had been doing over the years with Aro bleeding Carlisle of as much information as possible about his career. Carlisle had always told me that Aro had a fascination with Carlisle's aspirations to be a doctor, and I now saw for myself that Aro was intrigued and proud of his friend for succeeding, though, in the back of his mind, he still wished Carlisle would give up his 'vegetarian' ways and join his coven instead.

I had just stepped toward Emmet when the music paused before starting with a different tune, and Tanya latched onto my arm. I ignored her, hoping she would get the hint and go after one of the more vulgar minded vampires in the room. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration as Tanya silently expressed her persistence. I felt like a tightly wound coil ready to burst with everything going on and all the thoughts racing through my mind. I was ready to rip my arm from Tanya's hand and have it out with her right here in front of everyone, politeness be damned, when a soothing musical voice sounded loud and crystal clear through various speakers around the room.

_Dancing bears,_

_Painted wings,_

_Things I almost remember,_

_And a song someone sings once upon a December. _

Everyone was now riveted by Bella's voice, smiles gracing my family's faces, including Kate, Carmen, Irina, and Eleazar's. Tanya gripped my arm tighter, and she glared at my beautiful Bella as she let go of Chelsea's hand and started to wade through the crowd, singing in unison with her guard-mate. Laurent stood riveted like everyone else in the room and Aro beamed; he loved to hear her sing but she didn't very often, unless it was this song.

Bella headed in our direction, and I became aware of two things. Demetri thought Bella was coming to do a certain waltz he had taught her to go with this song, and Marcus started slowly gravitating toward her, passing Aro and Carlisle, seemingly unaware of what he was really doing.

_Someone holds me safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm,_

_Figures dancing gracefully,_

_Across my memories,_

Bella walked within arm's reach of both men, ignored Demetri, and walked straight toward Marcus. He immediately stepped forward with his arm outstretched for her hand, pulled her into a proper dancing position with one of his hand on her waist, and pulled her close before spinning her straight into the middle of the dance floor without missing a beat.

Chelsea continued to sing wordlessly with the music alone while Bella seemed to get lost in her own world, with Marcus the only other person in the vicinity. I felt venom pool in my eyes as I continued to watch, desperate to look away but unable to do so as I witnessed their connection.

They danced flawlessly together, Marcus leading her in graceful circles around the floor, lifting her every now and again, their eyes never leaving each other.

It was somewhat remarkable to see Bella like this; after all, she could barely dance at prom all those years ago and had to stand on my feet for most of the night so she didn't trip and hurt her leg more than it already was. She had been unsure and embarrassed by the whole thing, but this was completely different. She was in, strappy six-inch heels and allowing Marcus to lead her across the dance floor without any hindrances or complaints. She was confident and happy to be sharing this moment with him in front of hundreds of strange vampires. And she was a newborn, of all things; she shouldn't have been able to handle this many vampires in the one room, let alone have the attention span to learn a dance or any of the other numerous things she now did for long periods of time.

"Demetri?" Aro whispered, hesitant to interrupt but too curious not to say anything.

A haunted-looking Demetri appeared at Aro's side a moment later. "Yes, Master?"

The hollowness in Demetri's voice got Aro's attention, and he peered at his guard curiously before coming to the solution as Demetri struggled to look anywhere but at Bella and Marcus.

_Poor boy, _Aro's mind whispered before ignoring the guard's feelings and continuing with his query. "Did you teach Isabella this dance?"

Demetri looked surprised for a second, casting a quick, unwilling glance at Bella and Marcus' twirling figures. "No, Master. And I haven't seen Master Marcus and Isabella using the studios recently either; as far as I was aware, this is their first time dancing together."

Aro frowned and murmured a thanks to Demetri before looking back at his brother and the girl he considered his daughter.

"What is it, Aro?" Carlisle asked, concerned about Aro's behavior.

Aro shook his head at Carlisle, and I delved into his mind for an answer. I started to relive one of Aro's memories as Sulpicia's venom-filled voice answered Carlisle's question.

"_Come, Didyme." Aro heard Marcus' voice ring out, followed closely by his beloved sister's laugh. Curious Aro got up from his chair and walked around the corner, pushing one half of a double door open and peering in. _

_Marcus stood in the middle of the room, pulling a girl with long, straight, raven-colored hair along behind him before he smiled encouragingly at her and started to place her hands on him, one on his shoulder and entwining her other hand with his. _

"Marcus taught this dance to my sister, Didyme." I vaguely heard Sulpicia's voice sound around me.

"_Marcus, you know I hate dancing; I can't do it." The girl that looked like a female version of Aro laughed. _

"_Nonsense, Didyme, you're a vampire; of course you can dance." Marcus chastised good naturedly, before slowly taking Didyme through the steps, one by one. "One, two, three. One, two three. See? It's easy!"_

"It's a dance that was taught to Marcus in his teens, when the waltz was first invented; soon after he met Didyme he taught it to her. She couldn't stand dancing; the time it took to teach her the steps bored her, and she'd lose focus. But this was the one dance she struggled to learn, for his sake." Sulpicia's voice softened slightly at the recollection of her lost sister before it turned venomous again. "Up until now, Marcus has refused to dance or teach it to anyone."

"And he's taught Bella," Esme stated.

"No." Aro shook his head, coming out of his memory rather abruptly; the thoughts of his sister always pained him. He turned and faced my mother. "This is the first time Marcus has danced with Bella. There has been no practice and no premeditated action on his part; I should know." He smiled sadly and tapped his temple. "He hasn't even thought of this dance since my sister passed. He's living in the moment with Bella; not thinking, just doing, moving as his body is telling him. He's leading, and she's trusting him enough to follow." Aro smiled and turned back to watch them as Chelsea sung the last verse.

_Far away, long ago, _

_Glowing dim as an ember,_

_Things my heart used to know,_

_Things it yearns to remember,_

_And a song someone sings,_

_Once upon a December._

The last note sounded and echoed around the room with great finality, and the crowd was silent.

No one spoke a word as we all watched Marcus bring Bella's hand up and laid it on his chest, pressing it against his perfectly preserved, still heart. They were standing so close together, and their breath came too fast for a vampire, but in perfect sync with each other's anyway. They were still gazing into each other's eyes. They were still lost, still enclosed in their own world, and everyone was hesitant to break the emotionally monumental moment. Except for Emmett. The moment Marcus made the tiniest motion to kiss Bella and Emmett's hands came together with a resounding clap, stirring everyone else to applaud as well.

Bella visibly flinched and held onto Marcus' shoulders tighter as she looked around, remembering where she was and who she was with; she smiled like it was nothing instead of running from the room as she would have done only a couple of years ago. Marcus pulled his head back but didn't release her, refusing to let any distance come between them.

_Did I just? No, I couldn't have. _Marcus' thoughts were in disarray as he tried to recall what he had just done but failed. His head swung in Aro's direction, looking for help. Aro beamed at him and raised an eyebrow. _Oh god, I did. _Marcus looked back at Bella, watching her glow and sparkle from all the attention as he pulled her slightly closer; she didn't notice. _I can't believe I did that. I haven't… not since Didyme… what a way to announce my intentions to Didyme's sisters._

His mind laughed but stopped as soon as Bella returned her gaze to his face, still smiling. I watched through barely concealed rage as Bella rose on her toes once again, but instead of kissing Marcus' cheek like she had done earlier to Demetri, she kissed the corner of his mouth. I felt the thrill that went through Marcus' body as her plump lips met the corners of his own, I felt how she lingered there a second longer before pulling back.

I stepped forward, ready to tear Bella from his arms and… do something, anything. Rip his head off, his arms… every finger. Throw Bella over my shoulder and run as fast and as far as I could go, bite her, mark her as mine, not his. MINE. Tanya was still latched onto my arm and held me firm as I tried to surge forward; Esme came and grabbed my other arm, but with my mother at my side there was no one to stop my father from stepping forward.

Carlisle pushed passed Esme, Tanya and I, past Aro and Caius, and straight into the already dancing couples, heading straight for a stoic Marcus and Bella, who were once again staring at each other. I stopped my efforts and dove into my father's mind, seeing through his eyes, hearing through his ears, as he moved with urgency.

_I have to stop them before they do something stupid, before Edward does something stupid. She's my daughter, my son's mate, not Marcus', not Demetri's… oh god, please don't let this happen!_

"Mind if I cut in?" Carlisle said, succeeding in making both Marcus and Bella jumping at his sudden presence.

Bella moved away from Marcus slightly, removing her hand from his shoulder as he relaxed the hold he had on her waist, eventually letting it go but still holding her other hand.

Bella briefly glanced down at their hands before looking at Carlisle's outstretched one and frowning.

_Come on, Bella, please. I can't let you stay with him much longer. _

She glanced nervously at Marcus, searching for advice or permission – neither Carlisle nor I were quite sure but Marcus didn't give her anything as he refused to look at her, forcing her to make her own decision.

"Come now, Isabella, it's only a dance," Carlisle murmured, aware of the looks the other twirling couples were giving them.

I heard Bella sigh and saw her lift her head, looking into my father's pleading eyes before she gave in and pulled her fingers from Marcus' and let Carlisle pull her into the safety of his arms.

Carlisle took the first step to pull her away from the ancient but was forced to stop when Marcus placed both his hands on Bella's fabric-covered hips and kissed her temple tenderly. His eyes were filled with immense pain, sadness, loneness, and hope as he stared at my father. I heard him will my father to understand that he didn't mean to hurt Carlisle or his family, that it happened, and there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to tell my father that Bella meant something to him, she was important to him; Marcus refused to specify with his mind what she meant to him exactly, but it was enough for him to feel guilty about it.

Carlisle understood most of what Marcus had been trying to say and reluctantly sighed before nodding at the ancient. Not conceding or accepting Marcus' thoughts and feelings but tolerating them for the moment, ready to talk about them later.

Without another word Marcus let go and allowed Carlisle to pull a confused Bella out into the twirling couples where they continued to dance with an awkward air surrounding them for a few minutes before Carlisle broke the silence.

"Immortality suits you." Bella looked up sharply, trying to catch Carlisle's gaze but he, and I, were focused on Demetri and Felix's solid frames.

"Thank you, Carlisle, but it's not the first time I've been told," Bella answered tersely, ignoring Demetri and Felix as their eyes followed her progress like eagles watching their prey.

Another awkward moment passed between the two while Esme, who could hear everything going on despite the music and the chatter, tightened her hold on my hand in anxiety.

"I'm sorry." Carlisle blurted out.

Bella looked up at him again, red eyes piercing gold with confusion and the starting traces of anger.

Carlisle apologized again, this time elaborating… apologizing for _my_ behavior.

Carlisle was only a few words into his apology when Bella's jaw clenched, and her eyes went an interesting shade of swirling red and black while she spoke to him in a purely animalistic hiss.

"Don't. Apologize. For him. What he did and said is for him to apologize for, if he feels the need too, but I will not listen to you apologizing for the golden boy. You and every other member of your family should only be sorry for leaving me without a word of explanation, not for the words and actions of your son. That was his choice. That was what broke me completely. You hurt Carlisle, Esme hurt, Alice hurt, but what he said to me, what he made me think for all those months, was unforgiveable."

Carlisle wanted to protest, to explain, but taking in Bella's still angry features kept his mouth shut, and he looked over her head and straight at me.

_Fix this. So help me, Edward, YOU WILL FIX THIS AND SOON! _His mind roared at me though his face stayed perfectly blank of his inner most turmoil.

Bella's head was suddenly on Carlisle's shoulder, and his attention snapped back to her. He looked down at the crown of her head, smiling slightly before hesitantly laying his chin on her hair, very cautious and aware of the fact that as a newborn she could have a rather violent mood swing in a matter of seconds.

"What happened, Isabella?" Carlisle whispered.

She shook her head but didn't remove it as she spoke. "Not now, Carlisle, not when your son is so close by." Now she lifted her head from his shoulder and glared at him. "And certainly not when he's looking at me through your thoughts." Glared at me.

How was it that she always seemed to be able to read my mind, but her mind remained silent to the actual mind reader?

_She's got you there son. _Carlisle thought.

I hissed in retaliation to both him and Isabella, which only succeeded in making my father laugh and my love smile sadly at him before pulling away; her earlier persona started taking over before my - our - eyes.

"I'm showing far more than I bargained for tonight; I should stop here before I get carried away." Bella bowed her head, and Carlisle numbly bowed back before watching her turn, only to come face to face with the rest of the family and me.

Bella froze, taking in our faces, her eyes skating over Alice's and mine whilst she looked longer at Esme and Emmett's longing looks. She smirked at them, and Emmett's thoughts soared, thinking he was going to get a chance to talk and possibly dance with his baby sister. Esme wasn't fooled though and immediately spotted the dark, mischievous gleam in her daughter's eye.

Bella walked within six feet of our group before abruptly turning and heading over to Marcus, walking straight into his open arms and accepting the kiss he placed on her forehead before Aro swooped them off to meet more covens.

"Don't worry so much, Edward; you can talk to her later; now, with all these people here, just isn't the right time." Esme's smoothing voice entered my head, and I gazed down at her.

She was sad and in so much pain, not just over me and Bella; everyone in the family had been suffering, they still were, and she could feel it. Feel the hurt, the fear, and the heartache that this situation was inflicting on everyone.

I smiled at her and nodded, letting her believe I accepted that I would get a chance to talk to Bella later. I didn't; I knew getting another chance to talk to Bella after tonight would be next to impossible, but I ignored it for now, intent on lifting my mother's spirits at least a little as I pulled her onto the dance floor.

The past few hours had passed without further contact between Bella and my family, but there was a lot twisting in my gut. I wasn't sure what it was since vampires couldn't get sick; I hadn't felt anything like this since I had been laying in the hospital bed as Elizabeth, my mother, tried to help me through the influenza as much as possible while she was dying of them same illness.

I had taken Carlisle aside and told him about it, describing it as a knife being twisted, pulled; and drawn through my insides with jolting regularity. He hadn't heard of vampires having any type of pains in the stomach, but a human often got them when they had an appendicitis. That was, obviously, impossible for me to suffer from, so there was no choice but for me to endure it until it decided to go away on its own.

It didn't, and it was still here now, as a few of the other guests filed out of the ballroom to retire to their rooms. Most would be leaving later today once the sun went down again, as being in Volteera made many of them edgy.

I was once again standing to the side as Carlisle and Esme engaged the brothers in some boring conversation. Alice and Jasper were off talking to the Denalis a few meters away, and Rose and Emmett where trying to think of some kinky place they could find after we were free of the 'parents' – I tried to stay out of their heads as much as possible.

Bella stood with Marcus pressed against her back no less then two meters from me, languidly playing with his fingers as they rested low on her abdomen. She massaged, pinched, and flexed them, tracing the dead blue veins along the tops and bottoms of his hands and wrists. Anything that came to her mind, she did, and Marcus let her, content to let her do as she wished as long as she was close and away from me.

_Little bitch. _A familiar voice sneered into my mind. I discarded it, passing it off as Tanya's jealous thoughts until the voice continued, and I realized that it was too faint to be Tanya's mind, as she stood only four meters away. This voice was also high and child-like, hard to place but familiar all the same. _Can't believe she's been here for years; WHAT A WASTE OF TIME. _

I frowned and turned away from Bella for the first time practically all night and looked in the direction it was coming from.

_Stupid bitch, running to the Volturi the second James is gone. _

Victoria.

My head snapped to the wide open doors and snarled a warning. The exiting vampires whirled to look at me, and the Volturi guards swarmed their masters at my hostile noises.

I heard Victoria pause in her advance before she continued walking through the castle, her thoughts now calling to me.

_Ohhhh, I'm so glad you're here too, Edward! This will be more entertaining then I first thought. Is your family here too?_

I continued to growl and snarl at the door, the exiting vampires backing through the door slowly as my immediate and extended family came to stand behind me.

_Edward? What is it, Edward? _Carlisle silently asked me, his mental voice calm and controlled, taking the lead in this hostile situation.

Suddenly Alice and Jasper were standing close to me, closer than the rest of my family.

Now Carlisle was worried; Alice never willingly brought Jasper to the front line, although he usually ended up there anyway.

"Alice, what is it?" he asked, pushing Esme blindly behind him. His thoughts were very simple at the moment.

_Away from the door, get Esme away from the door. She's not a good fighter. Edward! Tell me what's going on!_

And suddenly Esme was gone from his grasp; he spun to see where she had disappeared to and, through his eyes, I saw Bella pulling Esme back by the arm, pushing her into the middle of the guard circle and forcing Marcus to release his grip on her.

"Stay here," she ordered Esme, before breaking free of the protective circle and stepping closer to the door and ignoring Carlisle on the way.

"Alice, who?" Bella growled, her eyes intently trained on the door as my own were.

"Victoria." Alice and I answered in unison, Alice in a warning, me in a hostile greeting, as the woman in question's mangled bush of red hair came into view.

Her eyes were bright red and opened wide, flashing from one person's face to the other, just like they had done at the clearing years ago.

Realizing there was only one vampire, the guards relaxed a little whilst my family tensed and Laurent groaned aloud, not happy with his old acquaintance's reappearance.

In a blur, Bella was standing next to me at the head of the group and let out the most animalistic roar I had ever heard come from any vampire. Everyone in the room jumped and looked at Bella with wide and disbelieving eyes as Bella and I continued to growl lowly at Victoria.

"Sorry I'm late; hope I didn't interrupt anything." Victoria tried to sound unaffected by Bella's display but on the inside where only I could see, she was terrified and already searching for a way out, planning her escape route.

_Oh god! What have I gotten myself into; she's still a newborn, for god's sake. I can't take her on and win on my own. _

"What is your business here, nomad?" Caius asked.

_Bella. _Victoria's mind immediately answered in her mind whilst she verbally droned on with some nonsense about coming for the party as her eyes scanned over Bella's newborn body, trying to find her strengths and weaknesses. Then her eyes flickered to me.

_You're her biggest weakness, aren't you, Edward?_

Bella let down her guard and followed Victoria's gaze; she looked at me for a second and seemed surprised to see me before turning around to look at someone else.

Victoria made to attack Bella now, but the instant I saw it in her mind I moved slightly to the right and she stopped.

_How the hell am I supposed to get around you?_

I smiled at her and shrugged.

"You said she was hunting me. Why?" I didn't know if Bella was talking to me or not; it seemed likely that she was talking to someone else as she had barely looked at me all night, but I answered anyway, intending to make it clear that she was still mine.

"I killed her mate, so she wishes to kill mine. To give me the same pain I caused her."

Bella scoffed. "Well then, it's a good thing I'm not your mate, isn't it?"

I visibly flinched as Bella I saw her look down at me incredulously from my peripheral vision and heard Victoria scream in anger and denial. Bella's attention swung back to her.

"WHAT? NO! You...you have to...he...you.... you were mated, when you were human you were with him." Victoria babbled trying to get her words out as her mind blanched and picked up again at high speed, trying to figure out what this meant.

_She's here with him… she's a vampire. They're protecting each other… aren't they?_

"He left." Was Bella's short and unemotional answer. I flinched again, and Emmett's booming mental voice sounded above the others.

_Ohhhh! Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn!_

I wanted to turn around and smack him over the head, but that wasn't possible at the moment; I had to keep both eyes on Victoria and my mind's eye on Bella.

"WHAT? You left her? After you killed James, you left her? You killed him for nothing-"

I snapped and growled at her, wanting to bite off the finger Victoria had pointed in my direction as she accused me. Accused me of not caring, not loving, and _playing_ with Bella all for the pleasure of getting some sort of entertainment out of it all. Entertainment that apparently included hunting and killing James after witnessing him hurt my Bella, _biting_ my Bella.

"Not nothing - to keep her alive, to keep her safe. I left to keep her from monsters like you and me."

Through Jasper's mind, I saw Bella roll her eyes and cross her arms over her chest, disbelief radiating off her.

"Well, that worked, didn't it?" She sneered at me.

I was about to turn around and spill my guts, tell Bella everything, when Victoria lost it.

She launched herself at me, with teeth bared and hands clawed, now discarding Bella as a source of revenge.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella's attention return to Victoria and her eyes widen before I stepped in front of her and pushed her back harder then when I had pushed her away from Jasper. What did it matter? She wouldn't land in a pile of glass and bleed. She probably won't even care that I pushed her, just that I touched her.

I turned and flung myself forward with all my strength, meeting Victoria halfway and forcing her to the ground beneath me.

She hissed, kicking her legs beneath me whilst craning her neck to try to reach my own with her snapping, sharp teeth. I pushed her further into the floor and punched her in the face before she managed to place her feet on my chest and push me off her.

I sliced through the air but managed to land on my feet a few meters from her. A terrible snarling sound erupted from the area where my family and the others were still gathered, and I tried my best to ignore it, ignore the instinct that told me to turn and find either another enemy or help someone in pain.

"ALEC!" A tortured voice screamed.

Victoria pushed herself off the ground and wasted no time surging forward again, swiping at me with her clawed hands. I dodged and backed up, trying to get a clear shot of her throat. After a few more steps, I still couldn't get a clear shot, so I dropped and kicked her legs out from under her, sending her flying through the air after I kicked her in the chest on the way down.

I got up, snarling at her once again as she tried to get her bearings.

She had just gotten up and started running at me again when a white, brown, and black blur raced past me and hit Victoria with enough force to send her straight across the room, through the parted crowd and into the stone wall, where Victoria slumped.

I looked at the blur as it paused and realized it was Bella. But she wasn't Bella anymore, or even Isabella; the inner vampire had taken over, and I watched in rapt fascination as she removed her diamond cuff, threw it to the floor, and savagely ripped the silk gloves from her arms as she advanced on her enemy.

The vampires gathered near the door gave Bella a wide berth as she approached, pressing themselves against the walls in an attempt to blend in and go unnoticed. I began to follow Bella, intending to finished this or help her finish Victoria; either way I wanted to tear the woman I had hunted for months in an effort to protect the girl I thought was still human.

Suddenly a vibrant blue bubble encased me, not allowing me to move any further. I turned around and tested the barrier behind me, but that was just as strong. I looked around the bubble, captivated by the swirling blue hues and radiant colors. I pressed myself against the bubble, trying to get out, as I saw Bella get within touching distance of Victoria.

"Bella!" I cried.

_Edward! _Aro called; I tilted my head in his direction as I saw Bella's lips move and Victoria's panicked face. _It's Isabella's shield; it's impenetrable. Don't fight it or put too much strain on it; if you do that will make it harder for Isabella. _

I stopped straining and pushing against it immediately and stood there, helpless, watching as Bella advanced like a predator hunting its prey.

Victoria suddenly made a run for it, but Bella was too fast and caught her by the arm less then a second later.

Bella pulled Victoria around to face her and the bubble was gone. Bella had pulled her shield away from me. I took a cautious step forward, and when nothing stopped me I ran toward Bella and Victoria. I only got within three meters before the same blue bubble appeared around them, only this time it was red, blood red.

I jerked to a stop before I touched it, not sure whether that was a good idea, considering the characteristics it was showing.

It pulsed and flowed like lava, whilst still keeping its dome-like shape perfectly intact. I approached it slowly and cautiously, trying to see through the red haze so I could see if Bella was all right; I couldn't. I saw shadows before black lightning bolts showed themselves and a distinctive electrical current emanated from it.

Out of nowhere, Eleazar and Laurent appeared on either side of me, placed their hands on my arms, and hauled me away from Bella, back toward my family.

"No! No! Bella! Bella!" I cried, kicking and screaming like a little kid wanting to stay in the arcade longer. But I wasn't a kid, and this certainly wasn't an arcade. As hands engulfed and held me, Victoria's pleading voice suddenly arose from inside the bubble and we all froze.

"No, no, please. I swear I'll never come back; I'll never harm another Cullen. Please just let me go, and you'll never see me again."

One half of the bubble seemed to thin out a little bit and Bella peered through it and into Aro's eyes. He made a small gesture with his hand, and Bella smiled sadistically, her hands tightening on what must have been one of Victoria's limbs.

"You're right, Victoria. I will never see you again… nor will anyone else," Bella sneered in a bemused voice before her face disappeared and the haze grew thick again.

"NOOOOO!!!!" Victoria's wail was abruptly cut off by the unmistakable sound of a vampire's limbs being separated.

Everyone in the hall was still frozen, but all flinched at the sounds as they echoed through the room constantly. No one could see anything - the red and black bubble was that thick, and when the screeching suddenly stopped, the red angry bubble disappeared, leaving Bella standing in the middle of the room with a pile made of Victoria's every limb, finger, and toe sitting at her feet whilst the head hung loosely from her hand.

Bella turned to Caius and held her hand out expectantly, waiting impatiently whilst Caius removed a strange silver ball from his pocket and tossed it across the room to her.

Wasting no time, Bella flung Victoria's head unceremoniously onto the pile of pale limbs and torn clothes before holding the sphere before her and squeezing. A bright, hot flame burst forth and engulfed the pile, burning each piece beyond recognition in seconds before it continued to break the pieces down into ash.

Demetri and Alec scaled the walls, opening little vents here and there to let the smoke out while Bella walked back across the room, pausing to pick up and put back on the diamond cuff she threw away minutes ago, before walking straight past my family and handing Caius back his contraption.

She paused before them long enough to look around and see all eyes on her before walking up the stairs toward the doors she had entered through earlier in the evening.

"Isabella?" Carlisle called, causing her to pause mid step and look over her shoulder.

Everyone was still staring and no one moved, their thoughts revealing their caution and awe for the newborn that stood before them. Bella looked over them all - noticing how some cringed away, some looked her straight in the eye, and others even bowed to her, showing their submission. Her eyes lingered on Esme's astonished face, regret and resolve clearly seen through her tired façade.

She sighed and walked away without a word.

No one followed.


End file.
